Fire and Ice
by lindsey and marie enterprises
Summary: Being seven years younger than your brother isn't always easy. When your brother is the famous Flame Alchemist, it gets even harder. Lana Mustang is aspiring to join the military as the first female State Alchemist. However, she quickly finds out it's no picnic. Making friends and enemies along the way, her world just got a lot bigger. By Marie
1. Prologue

**_Author's Note: Greetings, all! Marie here with a new story! Lindsey got me to start the_ Fullmetal Alchemist _series a few months ago, and I absolutely fell in love with it! So, I couldn't resist writing something about it once she and I were discussing various concepts. If you haven't checked out her story_ One is All _, I highly recommend it! Anyway, this is the prologue for my new story! Just a heads-up: I will be abiding mostly by_ Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood _and the manga (which I am currently reading and am also in love with), with the occasional moment from the 2003 anime. With all my rambling aside, let's get to it!_**

Part One: Before Fullmetal

Prologue: Meeting Maes Hughes

 _Tap tap tap._

Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes straightened making sure his wife was asleep before looking at his front door. _It's the middle of the night,_ he thought. _Who could be knocking at this hour?_

 _Tap tap tap._

Drawing a push knife, Hughes walked toward his front door, going through the list of people who would have any reason to visit him at his home at—he glanced at the clock above the mantle, his mind automatically converting it to military time—almost 0100 hours.

"Maes?"

The Lieutenant Colonel jumped, spinning around to see his wife, clutching a frying pan. "Oh, Gracia!" he whispered, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You startled me."

"Who's at the door?" the brunette asked, her eyes wide.

Hughes sighed. "I…"

 _Tap tap tap._

"P-Please…"

The voice was so soft, so gentle. Hughes took another deep breath, gently nudged his wife behind him, and opened the door.

There, sitting on their doorstep, was a girl with black curls and rich, tan skin. She raised her head, revealing brilliant, emerald green eyes set in a face that somehow struck Hughes as familiar. "Are you all right?" the Lieutenant Colonel immediately asked, kneeling in front of the girl.

"Just…c-cold," she admitted, shivering. "I'd hate…to be a b-burden—if it's too much, I-I'll lea—"

"You'll do no such thing," Gracia piped up from behind her husband. "Maes, get her inside. I'll make some tea."

Nodding over his shoulder, Hughes turned back to the girl in front of him, offering her his hand. "Can you stand?" he asked softly.

"I can try," she replied, taking his hand firmly and allowing him to help her. Once she was on her own two feet, Hughes guided her inside, sitting her on the couch in their living room and grabbing one of his sweaters from his closet, handing it to her before reviving the fire that had sputtered out hours earlier.

As he worked, Hughes managed to observe the girl they had just taken in as she pulled his green sweater over her head, fluffing her curly black hair back out, small sea shells that had been braided in rustling. She couldn't have been more than eighteen years old, and was wearing a skirt and small shirt, not adequate protection from the autumn weather they were experiencing now. _No wonder she was freezing,_ the man thought. He watched her scan the room with her emerald eyes, her face bearing a resemblance to someone…he just couldn't place who it was. "Where are you from?" he asked, sitting in his armchair directly across from her.

"Amestris," she replied, smiling gratefully at the mug of tea she was given by Gracia as the woman sat beside her. "Thank you."

"No offense, but you really don't look like it."

The girl looked down, looking smaller than before in Hughes' sweater, and a small smile slipped on her face. "Well, I guess that's what I get for being away for almost decade."

Hughes' brow furrowed. "Who are you?"

Her eyes shifted around nervously. "I don't know if I can tell you that."

"This is a safe place, Sweetie," Gracia soothed, patting her knee. "Anything you say here won't leave these walls unless you want it to."

This seemed to relax the girl somewhat. She took a deep breath. "My name is Lana. Lana Mustang."

Hughes' eyes widened as he realized why her face looked so familiar. "You're related to Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, aren't you?"

Lana gasped, a small smile on her face. "My brother is a Lieutenant Colonel?"

"And a good friend of mine." The man stuck his hand out again. "Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes." As she sat down her mug to shake is hand, he noticed a patch of ink on her palm. "You're an Alchemist too, huh?"

Once she released his hand, Lana nodded, turning both of her palms upward to reveal the blue tattoos in the firelight. "Yes, sir. That's why I've been away for so long; I've been training."

"What sort of alchemy do you practice?" Gracia asked, looking at the circular patterns on the girl's palms.

"It's not Flame Alchemy," Hughes noted. "That's not the kind of transmutation circle Roy has on his gloves."

Lana nodded. "Water Alchemy. It's about as rare as Roy's." She put her hands together, making the tea in her mug swirl around the room before pouring it back into her glass, earning a small smile from Hughes and a gasp from Gracia. "Of course, the best way to learn is to be around your element constantly, since—"

"Alchemy in its basic form is the understanding, deconstruction, and reconstruction of matter," Hughes finished.

The dark-haired girl smiled. "You've known Roy for a while, haven't you?"

"Since we entered the State Military Academy. Graduated from the same class."

"How old were you?"

Hughes thought for a moment. "We were born in the same year, so…fifteen when we entered, eighteen when we graduated."

"That sounds about right," Lana agreed. "He left home when he was fifteen, and I didn't get a letter from him until over a year later."

The Lieutenant Colonel snapped his fingers. "I remember him writing a letter in our barracks when we got some paper. It was addressed to a Lana and a Madame Christmas. I thought then that it must've been a sweetheart back home."

Lana shook her head, chuckling. "No, sir, just his nine-year-old sister and our foster mother." She took a sip of her tea before continuing. "He didn't say much; he just let us know that he was okay…and warned us about the conflict that had risen in Ishval."

Garcia took a deep breath, recalling the memory. "That war was at its worst when they graduated. They put Maes in there first thing. Before that year was over, he was a Captain—the higher-ranking officers were dying that quick." Hughes reached across to grab his wife's hand, squeezing it gently.

"You were a Captain at nineteen," Lana exhaled, her respect for the man in front of her growing. "That's right. Aunt Chris told me he came home around that time."

"Where were you?" Hughes asked, curious.

"Since there was a war, and he knew that we shared a knack for alchemy, Roy asked our foster mother to find me a teacher," Lana explained. "Madame Christmas pulled a few strings, and before I knew it, I had a teacher who was perfecting the art of Water Alchemy. However, he theorized that the best way for someone to understand water is to be around it, so I left home and lived on the coast of Aerugo.

She smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. "The ocean can make one feel so…so small, especially when seeing it for the first time at the age of nine. It can make you forget a lot of things—it took me until I was almost fifteen to write Roy and Madame Christmas a letter each. I felt so bad I decided to try to make up for it by painting a picture on the back of each letter."

"The girl on the beach," Hughes realized. "I remember: he had a painting of a dark-haired girl with him when he came to Ishval. He was twenty-three then; an official State Alchemist."

"That's the year that the Führer issued Order 3066," Gracia added softly.

"It required all State Alchemists with combat abilities to be sent to the front lines as human weapons," Hughes explained bitterly.

Lana gasped. "That must have been awful. How did Roy…"

Hughes sighed. "They call him 'The Hero of Ishval' because of his…work…in Daliha. It was mostly because of him that the war ended soon after Order 3066 was issued. But…you could see it in his eyes…he felt like nothing but a killer. Almost all his idealism was gone—gone from all of us. We all felt like nothing but murderers."

She looked down at her tan skin and wind-blown hair before grasping a necklace around her neck: two small vials filled with seawater dangling from the chain. "He always told me his reasoning behind learning alchemy was to help make this country better." A tear splashed into her tea. "I can't even imagine how you all must have felt."

"He's still determined to protect those he loves," Hughes assured. "And in order for everyone to have someone to protect and to be protected by, he's set his mind to becoming the Führer."

Lana smiled. "He's always been a big dreamer."

Hughes nodded in agreement before draining his mug of tea. "And what brings you back to Amestris?"

"Well," Lana sighed, "I've finished my studies, so I thought I could try to track my brother down and see if I can help him in any way."

The Lieutenant Colonel chuckled. "You'll have to start back East; he's stationed at Eastern Command right now." As the curly-haired girl groaned and planted her face into her hands, Hughes continued. "I could just see if he wants to pay me a social visit; it's been a while since he's seen my darling wife."

"In exchange for me troubling your home at such a late hour, I'd love to help you around your house, Mrs. Hughes," Lana offered. "Just until I get readjusted to this weather and can stand on my own two feet without freezing to death."

"You don't have to do anything!" Gracia declared. "You're Roy Mustang's sister, an honored guest!"

"Its the Alchemist in her, dear," Hughes teased, making Lana blush. "They abide by the Law of Equivalent Exchange."

"You're more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like, Dear," Gracia smoothed over. "Don't worry about a thing."

Lana Mustang smiled warmly at the couple, grateful that she had managed to find one of her brother's friends.

 _Now just to find you again, Roy,_ she thought, carefully sipping her warm tea.


	2. Chapter 1: Snow and Tea

**_Author's Note: Hi, everyone. Marie here again (finally). Phew, what a time it has been since I've been here! I sincerely apologize for my lack of posting; if you read mine and Lindsey's bio, there's a vague explanation. However, I've had coffee and am eating a salad at almost midnight my time, and that is apparently a winning combination for writing! So, here's (at long last) the first official chapter of_** **Fire and Ice** ** _!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in_** **Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,** ** _in manga or anime form._**

 _Three months later…_

"I'm hoooooommmeee!"

"Good afternoon, Sweetheart!" Gracia exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her husband as he kissed her.

"You are home early, Uncle Maes," Lana remarked, pouring three mugs of tea while he hung up his snow-covered overcoat, handing his uniform to his wife.

"For good reason, too," Hughes replied, smiling in thanks for the tea and the endearment that went along with it. "The Führer has been in the East for the past few days overseeing their weapons drills, and he's returning this evening. I've come home just to get my uniform pressed and to see if you'd like to come with me, Lana."

Lana blinked, taken aback by the sudden request. "M-Me? Oh, Uncle Maes, Aunt Gracia should go with you; I can stay and—"

"At his request, Lieutenant Colonel Mustang is personally escorting the Führer."

The dark-haired girl gasped. "R-Roy's coming? Here? To Central? Tonight?" Hughes nodded, grinning at the girl's sudden animation as she ran her fingers through her inky curls, her emerald eyes wide. "Would I be able to-to talk to him?"

"After the Führer is safely back in his office in Central Command, I'm sure he'll be in the mood to make a few personal visits," Hughes assured with a wink. "Are you ready to do this?" he asked, his mood suddenly sobering. "Its been a while since he's seen you."

Lana took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "I just need to get my coat and gloves, sir. Winter in Amestris is worse than autumn."

* * *

"Warm enough?" Hughes asked, watching Lana beside him.

The eighteen-year-old shrugged. "As warm as I can be. How do people in Central _do_ this every year?" Before the pair had left the house, Lana put on thick, black wool stockings, black boots, black skirt, and a green turtleneck under her thick white coat and matching hat and gloves. However, somehow, she still shivered occasionally when the wind whispered by, playing with her curls.

"If I'm being honest, this is one of the warmer winters we've had in recent years."

"Uncle Maes, if you're pulling my leg I _swear_ —"

"Here they come," Hughes whispered, stepping back slightly so Lana could see better. She saw a man with an eyepatch walking in front of everyone— _That must be the Führer_ , she thought—but that wasn't the person who caused her to gasp.

Walking behind the Führer was another, much younger man, with black hair that hung in his face and dark, piercing eyes. "Roy," Lana whispered, almost in awe of her brother and his confident stride as he ignored the snow falling around him, the golden stars adoring the shoulders of his uniform identical to those of Hughes', since they shared the same rank. Beside him walked a woman with blonde hair cut short, her brown eyes sharp, snowflakes dotting her uniform as well.

"The woman with him is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye," Hughes explained quickly. "She served with us in Ishval as a sniper. She's Roy's second-in-command."

"She can take him, can't she?"

"Oh, in a heartbeat."

Lana nodded with a grin, tearing her gaze away from her brother for a moment to look ahead of the three. "Who is that?" she asked, pointing ahead of them.

"Who?" Hughes turned his head as well, seeing the dark a figure Lana had pointed out. "That is…" The older man's eyes narrowed. "He's not supposed to be there."

Lana blinked the snowflakes off of her eyelashes. "He's not personnel? An official greeter or something?"

Hughes shook his head as the stranger's pace increased, something in his hand. "He doesn't even have a uniform…but he's got a gun—he's aiming at the Führer!"

"Roy," Lana whispered, yanking off her gloves. Without thinking, she rushed into the road a few feet in front of the approaching party, energy arcing off of her hands as she put them together.

"Riza raised her eyebrow at the figure in front of them. "Looks like a girl, sir," she said softly, trying to figure out what the stranger was trying to do. "She doesn't looked armed, but—"

 _Bang!_

The gathered crowd gasped in awe as the bullet intended for the Führer had stopped, caught in a wall of ice that had materialized because of a girl standing in the middle of the road.

Hughes stifled a grin as the shooter almost stumbled in shock. "Let him have it, Lana," he whispered.

Lana smirked at the bullet in her wall. "I don't think so," she murmured, clapping her hands together before putting them against the ice as the man tried to run.

 _Woosh!_

The Führer watched in interest as a wave of water washed over his almost-assailant. "Do you know that girl, Lieutenant Colonel?" he asked calmly over his shoulder.

"Sir, I don't think I've seen her a day in my…" The Flame Alchemist's eyes widened as she girl turned, revealing a face he hadn't seen in a very long time. "I apologize, sir, but I actually do. Excuse me for a moment." He stepped past the Führer, raising his voice. "Lana?" he called.

Her emerald eyes flooded with tears. "R-Roy!"

The Lieutenant Colonel broke into a run, scooping his sister in his arms, the pair embracing each other with all their might. "You're so….grown up," Roy managed once he sat her down, holding his tears back the best that he could. "And tan," he added with curiosity.

Lana sniffled, smiling. "You're old," she teased, looking past her brother to the man with the eyepatch. "That's the Führer," she whispered.

As the man approached the pair, Roy saluted. "Your Excellency, may I present Lana Mustang, my long-lost sister."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Lana replied, bowing respectfully.

"It appears that you're an accomplished Alchemist like your brother," the Führer noted, his tone pleasant.

Lana's face flushed. "Oh, I apologize for flooding your courtyard, sir."

The Führer shook his head. "Think nothing of it, Miss Mustang. You saved my life."

 _Snap!_

"Your assailant isn't going anywhere, sir," Roy added, lowering his hand as a ring on fire surrounded the man as he had finally regained his footing. "But the Führer is right, Lana; you saved the leader of our country."

"I only did what any other citizen of Amestris would have done in my place," Lana said softly.

The Führer managed a small smile at the girl's humility. "Miss Mustang, have you considered the State Alchemy program?"

* * *

"I want to, Roy."

The dark-haired man looked over his cup of tea at his sister. "Become a State Alchemist?" Lana nodded, her emerald eyes resolute.

"If you didn't notice, Roy, she's pretty good," Hughes threw in. "I've never seen her kind of Alchemy around here, either; that could benefit the military greatly—and help her stand out during the final part of the exam."

"Exam?" Lana repeated.

Roy nodded. "The State Alchemy Exam. It has three parts: a written test, an interview conducted by the Führer himself, and a practical skills portion, where you are taken to an open field with raw materials and your fellow trainees. You have two options: perform on the spot, or present your research in your alchemical field."

"Sounds interesting," the curly-haired girl mused, drinking her tea, "but doable."

"You're not going to back down, are you?"

"Why should I?"

Her brother put his cup on the table with force. "Because being a State Alchemist isn't a life of ease, Lana," Roy bit out. "If you pass the Exam, and if you're chosen, you will be forced to do unspeakable things—be a human weapon, carry out orders you would rather die than do. Just when you think you've seen Hell, another level opens up." He closed his mouth for a moment as his voice began to shake; once he reigned his emotions back in, Roy continued. "We're the Dogs of the Military, Lana. That's the title we're branded with." He lowered his head, earning a concerned look from Hughes. "That's what we _are_ —dogs."

"Not you."

Roy looked up, meeting his sister's emerald eyes with a small, mirthless smirk. "What makes you think so?"

"Because I _know_ you," Lana insisted. "And we both know the first creed for Alchemists, the first one you ever read to me in our room in Aunt Chris' house all those years ago."

"Be Thou for the People," the siblings recited together, both of them smiling at the memory.

"I know you would never fully abandon that concept, no matter what your orders are," Lana reasoned. "That's why you're so adamant about protecting those you care about. Even right now; as a member of the military and a State Alchemist, shouldn't you be trying to recruit one of your own with delusions of grandeur, high social status, and a huge research grant to someone considering taking the exam to add to the force? I'm sure it would work wonders for your standing in the Führer's eyes if you managed to add another weapon to his arsenal."

Hughes laughed as her brother sat, dumbstruck for a moment. "She's got a point, Roy. This one might be sharper than you!"

Roy nodded. "Maybe so. She's always been strong-willed, even when she was little." He drained his cup with a sigh. "I'll have to find out when the next exam is; in the meantime, you should probably start studying. The written exam is like nothing you will ever see. Few ever finish."

"If I were you, I'd try the National Library," Hughes put in. "The main branch is just a quick walk across the street, and it has the largest collection of books in Amestris."

Lana's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Uncle Maes!" she declared, launching from the table to grab her coat. "Don't wait up for me, okay?" She paused, walking back to the table to kiss her bother's cheek. "Thank you too, Roy," she said softly. "For staying the same after all these years. I've missed you."

"She's something else," Hughes remarked as the door shut in the girl's wake before looking at his friend. "Roy?"

The dark-haired man's voice was trembling. "I just…I don't want her to endure all the things we have. I don't want her to see true Hell just because she can be turned into a weapon."

The Lieutenant Colonel smiled softly, putting a comforting hand on the Flame Alchemist's shoulder. "With both of us looking out for her, she never will."

 _ **A/N: So what do you think? Again, I apologize for the long wait, and with my schedule, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. Keep your eye out for it, though! I promise I haven't**_ ** _abandoned you. I hope you enjoyed!_**

 ** _Until I see you again! ~Marie_**


	3. Chapter 2: Challenges and Exams

**_Author's Note: Hello! Marie here, back a lot sooner than I thought I would be! I've been reading the reviews that have been coming in from my last update, and I am so thankful for all of your kind words and support through favs/follows! Coffee late at night post-homework strike yet again, so here is the second chapter! I hope you enjoy it!_**

 ** _Note/Disclaimer: This has content taken from and altered from the 2003_** **Fullmetal Alchemist** ** _anime. That being said, I still don't own anything in the_** **FMA** ** _universe._**

 _One week later…_

Lana's emerald eyes scanned the exam room of hopefuls, looking for a seat to work on the first part of the State Alchemy Exam. At Roy's insistence, she had arrived thirty minutes in advance, Hughes prying an alchemy book out of her hands and replacing it with a ink pot and quill before she entered, shouting "Good luck!" as she went.

 _I'm the only girl and the youngest person in the room,_ she thought to herself. _Great._

The eighteen-year-old did her best to ignore the curious eyes that were glued to her as she sat on the end of the third row in the auditorium-like room, taking a deep breath. She she removed her gloves and sat them on the desk in front of her as the rest of the room began to murmur with conversation. She kept quiet, noting that the Führer himself was seated at a long table, along with a man with a thick, black mustache and one with no facial hair at all. Roy was standing to the Führer's right, his eyes flickering with encouragement when he noticed his sister.

All the gossip was cut short as papers began to be passed around, the Führer banging his gavel. "We will now commence the preliminary exam," he declared with a grin. "Good luck!"

"Begin!" a voice thundered, and that was all Lana remembered before she got lost in piles of theories and questions.

* * *

Maes and Gracia were waiting expectantly when Lana stumbled out, looking exhausted. "How'd it go?" they inquired.

The girl's eyes were glazed over. "My wrist feels like rubber," she managed, Hughes putting one arm around her and the other around his wife as they started towards their apartment. "I did finish, though!" she added with a proud grin.

"That's wonderful!" Maes declared. "Not many get even close to finishing—I think Roy missed it by a page."

"Really?" Hughes nodded, and the girl's smile grew. "That makes me feel better already!"

Gracia chuckled at the pair. "Let's just get you some tea and some rest so you can be ready for the interview tomorrow."

Lana groaned. "I forgot about the interview."

* * *

 _Ring! Ring!_

"Hello?"

 _"_ _Maes?"_

"Yeah, Roy?"

 _"_ _Lana passed the written portion. She's through the first round."_

"She's sleeping now, so I'll let her know in the morning. Can't say that I ever doubted her."

 _"_ _Me neither. Let's hope she does as well in the interview. Hers is scheduled for eleven hundred hours."_

"Got it. Hopefully you passed down that eloquent speaking thing you have. You know, Roy, that could get you in a marriage one—"

 _Click._

* * *

"Lana Mustang?"

Squaring her shoulders and waving at Maes and Gracia, Lana walked into the room, trying not to jump as the doors were closed behind her.

A bright light flashed in the center of the room, revealing the same panel from the written exam, along with Roy standing off to Lana's left. The beam was focused on a golden chair in the middle of the room. _A chair with three legs,_ Lana marveled. _It shouldn't stand on its own, but it does._

"Have a seat, Miss Mustang." The Führer's voice was pleasant as usual. "If you have the gift, it will not refuse you."

With a nod, the girl complied, balancing on the chair with ease.

"Very good!" the Führer praised, the men beside him each writing something on the paper in front of them. "You are from Amestris, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"But you received your alchemy training outside of Amestris."

"Yes, sir, in Aerguo—though my teacher is also Amestrian. He moved there to be closer to water, and for his wife's health."

"What does alchemy hinge on?"

"The Law of Equivalent Exchange, sir. In order to obtain something, something of equal value must be given."

The Führer's eye gleamed for a moment as he flipped through Lana's file. "It says here that you have a sibling already in the military, and also a State Alchemist. Is that correct?"

The dark-haired girl felt her chest puff up a little in pride. "Yes, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, is my older brother."

"Why do you want to become a State Alchemist?"

Of all the things he could have asked, that as the last one Lana thought of.

Her heart began to race as the man stared at her with his one good eye, expecting an answer. Desperate, Lana began to look around the room, her eyes settling on something.

"I'm waiting," the Führer reminded her, his tone suddenly harsh.

"Sir, do you happen to know the unofficial creed of Alchemists?"

The mustached man to the Führer's left growled. "I believe His Excellency asked _you_ a question, girl."

"It's all right, Brigadier General Grand," the Führer smoothed over mildly. looking back at the girl. "No, Miss Mustang, I don't believe I do."

 _Good._ "Be Thou for the People, sir. I learned it when I was just a child, about four. That's when my brother started showing me Alchemy. You see, at that time, I thought all people who were Alchemist abided by this rule, using their gifts for the good of those around them, whether it was their families, their villages, or their country. However, as I grew up and underwent studying Alchemy on my own, I began to discover, to my disdain, that was not the case.

Locking eyes with Roy, Lana continued. "I firmly believe that this would would be a better place if more Alchemists remembered their original rule: help people who cannot help themselves, to be for the people. As a State Alchemist, I would do my best to uphold this cause, along with following the orders given to me, because that is what this position is: A servant to the government, and a protector of the people."

Looking pleased, the Führer moved on.

* * *

The phone rang as Lana removed her coat, Maes picking it up with a bright "Hello?" He listened for a few moments, Gracia pausing in her tea-making and Lana rooted to her spot at the door. "I'll let her know. Thanks again, Roy."

"What did he say?" the girl asked, growing disheartened at the man's somber appearance.

"Well," Maes began, letting a huge grin plaster itself all over his face. "Looks like you're a day away from making Amestrian history."

Lana's eyes widened as her hands reached to cover her mouth. "I passed?" Maes nodded, rushing to the girl to embrace her, spinning her around as Gracia laughed. "I passed!" Lana shouted, her curls flying into her face.

"I wish he could come down here and celebrate with us," Gracia commented softly, three cups of tea ready.

"Since he's helping with the Exam, he has to remain impartial," Maes reminded. "He can't celebrate anything with anyone—even his little sister he hasn't seen in years."

Lana looked out at the snowy landscape with determination. "If all goes well tomorrow, can we have a party or something?" she asked, meekly.

Maes grinned. "If you get that watch, you can have whatever you want, kid."

* * *

Lana looked at the open platform she had been ushered too, feeling her nerves trying to get to her.

The sea of hopefuls she had started out with had been reduced to a meager handful, all of them gripping writing utensils in their shaky hands. Once again, she thanked her teacher for convincing her to get her circles tattooed on her palms. Though the process had been painful, it had saved her from countless heartaches, and no chalk stains on her clothing.

"Welcome to the Practical Portion of your Exam," the Führer announced. "As you can see, we have provided you with some fine raw materials." Lana looked around, noticing a small forest, a mountain of stones, and—much to the girl's delight—a glacier surrounded by a small moat. "Whenever you're ready."

The dark-haired girl took a few steps back, letting the others rush towards the forest and rocks, chalk flying as circles were being frantically drawn and huge works of alchemy began to form. Lana took her time, much to the concern of some of the people on the panel, walking towards the glacier and watching for a few moments.

Once the first few attempts to impress the Führer and his men were done, Lana took a deep breath, thinking she had waited long enough. She slapped her hands together, a plan already in her mind.

 _Woosh!_

The men present seemed to gasp as one at the swirling wave of water the girl was controlling rose to several times her height, eclipsing several of their monuments before beginning to make its descent back to earth…

Right on top of the Führer's desk.

As men began to frantically draw circles again to aid their leader, Roy watched the wave—and his sister—curiously, though his hand was already gloved, poised to strike as the water got steadily closer.

Lana waited, her hands clasped together, poised for the perfect moment. _Just a little closer,_ she thought to herself as the Führer looked up, not looking concerned at the fact that there was hundreds of gallons of water barreling towards him _. And…._

She smiled as one droplet, ahead of her wave, began to near the Führer's face. _Now!_

 _Ssssssshup!_

The droplet, now a snowflake, landed breathlessly on the Führer's eyepatch.

Men began to murmur in shock as the wave Lana had formed had turned into ice, frozen in time mere inches above the desk of five very influential men in Amestris.

Roy began to grin. "That's my girl," he whispered.

The Führer grinned. "Gentlemen, I think the choice is clear."

* * *

"Congratulations; you're now a Dog of the Military."

Lana rolled her eyes at her brother's tone, taking the gold-lined paper from his hands and reading aloud for Maes and Gracia to hear:

" _This official document certifies that the nation of Amestris, prefecture of the Generalissimo, appoints the name—_ "

"Not that part yet," interrupted Roy with a wink. Lana rolled her eyes and continued on.

" _…_ _in the name of Führer King Bradley. The State Alchemist shall—_ "

"Just read the last paragraph."

"Roy Arthur Mustang, if you do not stop interrupting me, I swear I will find a way to soak your gloves permanently." When she was sure he would not interrupt, Lana began again, at the final paragraph of the document. " _The State Alchemist is entitled to the use of ample research funds, unrestricted access to classified documentation, access to various governmental facilities, and a military rank equal to that of 'Major'._ Signed, Führer King Bradley."

Roy produced her boxed pocket watch from behind his back with a flourish and a grin. "Mister and Missus Hughes, may I present to you: Lana Mithian Mustang, The Tidal Wave Alchemist."

"You did it!" Gracia cheered, embracing the girl as her husband popped open a bottle of champagne.

"I never doubted you for a second, Lana," Maes declared as he poured glasses, passing them around. "So, Roy, what happens to her now?"

"Well, I spoke to the Führer and requested her be assigned to Eastern Command under me, since she mentioned in a private discussion with him that it was a condition on her keeping her certification."

"Really?" Gracia inquired, looking at the girl as she took a cautious sip of the bubbly beverage in her hand, nodding.

"Mmmhmm," she replied as she swallowed. "How can I help him out and make him look good if I'm not under his feet all the time?" she teased.

Roy rolled his eyes. "However, there's something she's got to do first."

Lana's eyes were wide with excitement. "What?"

 ** _A/N: And there you have it! Even though I said this last time and ended up lying a bit, it may honestly be a little while until the next chapter because I don't have it planned out quite yet. However, I will do my best to be as quick as possible with quality content! I hope you enjoyed; until we meet again!_**


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